More than 100 officers, including two women fighter pilots, were commissioned into the Indian Air Force on Saturday during the Combined Graduation Parade of Pilots and Ground Duty Officers at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal near here.
According to an official statement, the event marked the passing out of 105 Flight Cadets as Flying Officers of the IAF, including two women fighter pilots – Flying Officer Shivangi Singh and Pratibha, out of a total of 15 women who joined the elite cadre of IAF officers.
The occasion also marked the passing out of the 200th Pilot’s course of IAF officers.
Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba was the chief guest at the parade.
He conferred the President’s Commission to the graduating Flight Cadets who successfully completed their basic and professional training.
Present on the occasion was Air Marshal S.R.K. Nair, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command, IAF.
During the parade, 14 officers of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard were also awarded their ‘Flying Brevets’.
The IAF routinely trains members of other services and para-military forces in basic aviation and related courses at the Dundigal academy, which is a premier training establishment that transforms raw recruits or flight cadets into IAF officers.